CEPES - Confederación Empresarial Española de la Economía Social/ Spanish Enterprise Confederation of the Social Economy

The Spanish Social Economy Employers’ Confederation (CEPES), established in 1992, is a nationwide employer’s confederation whose inter-industry nature makes it the largest representative institution for Social Economy in Spain, becoming a platform for institutional dialogue with the public authorities.

As the organisation that brings together the different economic activities that exist under the concept of Social Economy, CEPES comprises 29 organisations. All of these organisations are national or regional confederations and specific business groups that represent the interests of Co-operatives, Employee-Owned Companies, Mutual Societies, Social Integration Enterprises, Special Employment Centres, Fishermen’s Guilds and Associations in the Disability Industry, with more than 200 support structures at regional level.

CEPES exists as the single spokesperson that integrates and structures all confederate organisations. It defines itself as an economic and social stakeholder that acts on the market and that, through its activity, has an impact on society. It has its own legal standing and defends a business model that has its own specific values.